GIDS-1 GOES-7 Infrared Imagery 1.0 General Description The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-7) Infrared (IR) imagery is one of several image datasets provided as part of the GEWEX Continental-scale International Project (GCIP) Initial Dataset One (GIDS-1). The GOES-7 IR imagery covers the central and western United States at 8 km resolution. The GOES-7 IR imagery contains daily imagery for the GIDS-1 time period (01 February 1992 through 30 April 1992). 2.0 Detailed Data Description The GOES-7 IR imagery was collected every half hour during the STORM-FEST period (01 February through 15 March 1992) and supplemented with one daily image for the period 16 March through 30 April 1992. From this dataset a representative daily image was selected at 1200 UTC whenever possible, to coincide with the National Meteorological and Climate Analysis Center's Daily Weather Map Series imagery (1200 UTC). The imagery was archived in PC-McIDAS format and the selected daily images were translated to Graphical Interchange Format (GIF). These images were mapped and color enhanced using the standard GOES-7 IR MB curve to approximate cloud top temperatures according to the following table: Color Approximate IR Temperature Range --------------------------------------------------------- Black > 285 deg K Gray 285 - 273 deg K Avocado 272 - 262 deg K Green 261 - 249 deg K Cyan 248 - 237 deg K Sky Blue 236 - 225 deg K Blue 224 - 213 deg K Navy Blue 212 - 201 deg K White < 201 deg K ---------------------------------------------------------- These GIF images can be viewed using any standard GIF display software package. However, any additional detailed information from the original files (i.e., brightness temperatures, navigation, etc.) are not available from the GIF image, but can be obtained from the actual data available from the UCAR Office of Field Project Support (OFPS). Further general information on GIF files, structure and format are provided in the References. 2.1 Data Remarks All daily images are for 1201 UTC except for the following days (image time in parenthesis): 12 February (1231 UTC); 02 March (1231 UTC); 16 March (1401 UTC); 28 March (0101 UTC); and 04 April (0401 UTC). Imagery were unavailable for two days during the GIDS-1 period: 7-8 April 1992. 3.0 Quality Control Processing No additional quality control or re-navigation was performed on the imagery by the UCAR/OFPS. OFPS did overlay the map and enhance the imagery before conversion to GIF files. 4.0 References Kay: Graphics File Formats, 2/E. ISBN: 0-07-034025-0, McGraw Hill. Luse, M: Bitmapped Graphics Programming in C++. ISBN: 0-201- 63209-8, Addison-Wesley.